SQL Server & MSBI Basics

1. What is MSBI?
o MSBI stands for Microsoft Business Intelligence. It includes three
tools: SSIS (for ETL), SSRS (for reporting), and SSAS (for data
analysis).
2. What is the difference between OLAP and OLTP?
o OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) is used for day-to-day
operations (e.g., bank transactions), while OLAP (Online Analytical
Processing) is used for data analysis and decision-making.
3. What is an ETL process?
o ETL stands for Extract, Transform, Load. It’s the process of
extracting data from sources, transforming it into the required
format, and loading it into a data warehouse.
SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services)
1. What is an SSIS package?
o An SSIS package is a set

o / of instructions to extract, transform, and load (ETL) data from one

or more sources to a destination.
2. What is the Data Flow in SSIS?
o Data Flow in SSIS defines the movement of data through
transformations from source to destination.
3. How do you handle errors in SSIS?
o You can handle errors in SSIS by using error outputs, event handlers,
or logging to capture and handle errors.
4. What is the difference between Lookup and Merge Join in SSIS?
o Lookup Transformation is used to find a value in a reference dataset,
while Merge Join combines rows from two sorted datasets based on
a common column.
5. How do you schedule SSIS packages?
o SSIS packages can be scheduled using SQL Server Agent or third-
party schedulers like Task Scheduler.
SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services)
1. What is SSRS?
o SSRS is a reporting tool that allows you to create, manage, and
deploy reports for business intelligence purposes.
2. What are report parameters in SSRS?
 o Report parameters allow users to filter data or customize reports
based on their inputs (e.g., selecting a date range).
3. How do you deploy an SSRS report?
o Reports are deployed to the SSRS server using SQL Server
Management Studio (SSMS) or Visual Studio.
4. What types of reports can be created in SSRS?
o You can create tabular, matrix, chart, and freeform reports in SSRS.

5. How do you improve performance in SSRS reports?

o You can improve performance by using stored procedures, caching
reports, and optimizing queries.
SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services)
1. What is SSAS?
o SSAS is a tool used to analyse and create multi-dimensional data
models, known as cubes, for business reporting.
2. What is the difference between MOLAP, ROLAP, and HOLAP?
o MOLAP (Multidimensional OLAP) stores data in cubes, ROLAP
(Relational OLAP) uses relational databases, and HOLAP (Hybrid
OLAP) combines both.
3. What is a cube in SSAS?
o A cube in SSAS is a multi-dimensional structure used for analysing
data, with dimensions (like Time or Geography) and measures (like
Sales).
4. What is a calculated measure in SSAS?
o A calculated measure is a custom formula created in SSAS, like a
sum or average, based on existing measures.
5. What is a Data Source View (DSV) in SSAS?
o A DSV is a view that defines the relationships between the data
tables in SSAS, making it easier to create cubes.
General MSBI Questions
1. How do you troubleshoot a failing SSIS package?
o Check the error message, use SSIS logging, and debug the package
to find the issue.
2. What are the types of indexes in SQL Server?
o The main types of indexes are clustered, non-clustered, and full-text
indexes.
3. What is the role of the Analysis Services Processing Task in SSIS?
 o It is used to process cubes and dimensions in SSAS to ensure they
are updated with the latest data.
4. What is a surrogate key?
o A surrogate key is a unique identifier for a record in a database,
used in place of natural keys (e.g., Social Security Number).
5. How do you deploy and manage SSIS packages?
o SSIS packages can be deployed using SQL Server Management
Studio (SSMS) and can be managed through the SSISDB or
Integration Services Catalog.
Scenario-Based Questions
1. How would you improve the performance of an SSRS report that’s
slow to load?
o Optimize the query, reduce the data size, use caching, and avoid
complex calculations in the report.
2. You need to combine data from two databases in an SSRS report.
How would you do that?
o You can create multiple datasets from different databases or use a
linked server in SQL Server.
Behavioral Questions
1. Tell me about a challenging MSBI project you worked on.
o Answer this by describing a specific project where you solved a
problem or implemented a challenging feature, and how you
overcame the obstacle.
2. How do you prioritize tasks?
o I prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact, ensuring that the
most critical tasks are completed first while balancing ongoing
work.
1. What is SQL Server?
o SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS)
developed by Microsoft for storing and managing data using SQL
(Structured Query Language).
2. What are the different types of indexes in SQL Server?
o Clustered index: Organizes data in the table physically in order.

o Non-clustered index: Creates a separate structure from the data

to speed up query retrieval.
o Unique index: Ensures all values in a column are unique.

o Full-text index: Used for full-text searches on large text fields.

 3. What is a primary key?
o A primary key is a column (or set of columns) that uniquely
identifies each record in a table. It cannot contain NULL values.
4. What is a foreign key?
o A foreign key is a column (or set of columns) that links one table to
another, ensuring referential integrity by referencing the primary
key of another table.
5. What is normalization?
o Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database to
reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. It involves breaking
down large tables into smaller, related tables.
Queries and Joins
1. What are the different types of joins in SQL Server?
o INNER JOIN: Returns records with matching values in both tables.

o LEFT JOIN: Returns all records from the left table, and matched
records from the right table.
o RIGHT JOIN: Returns all records from the right table, and matched
records from the left table.
o FULL OUTER JOIN: Returns all records when there is a match in
either the left or right table.
o CROSS JOIN: Returns the Cartesian product of both tables.

2. What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause?

o WHERE is used to filter rows before any grouping, while HAVING is
used to filter groups after an aggregation is applied (used with
GROUP BY).
3. What is the difference between UNION and UNION ALL?
o UNION combines the results of two queries and removes
duplicates, while UNION ALL includes all records, even duplicates.
4. What is a subquery?
o A subquery is a query within another query. It can return a single
value or a set of values used in the outer query.
5. What is a stored procedure?
o A stored procedure is a precompiled set of SQL statements that can
be executed as a single unit, improving performance and reusability.
Performance and Optimization
1. How do you improve the performance of a SQL query?
 o You can optimize queries by using proper indexes, avoiding SELECT
*, reducing joins, filtering data early with WHERE clauses, and
avoiding complex subqueries.
2. What is a deadlock in SQL Server?
o A deadlock occurs when two or more processes are waiting for each
other to release locks, creating a cycle. SQL Server detects
deadlocks and kills one of the processes to resolve it.
3. What is a SQL Server transaction?
o A transaction is a sequence of operations performed as a single
unit. It ensures data consistency, and is managed using commands
like BEGIN TRANSACTION, COMMIT, and ROLLBACK.
4. What are the ACID properties of a transaction?
o Atomicity: All operations in a transaction are treated as a single
unit.
o Consistency: A transaction takes the database from one valid state
to another.
o Isolation: Transactions are isolated from each other until complete.

o Durability: Once a transaction is committed, it is permanent.

Data Types and Constraints

1. What are the different data types in SQL Server?
o Common data types include INT, VARCHAR, DATETIME,
DECIMAL, BIT, FLOAT, and TEXT.
2. What is a UNIQUE constraint?
o A UNIQUE constraint ensures that all values in a column are
different, allowing NULLs but only one NULL value per column.
3. What is a CHECK constraint?
o A CHECK constraint ensures that the values in a column meet a
specific condition or expression.
4. What is the difference between CHAR and VARCHAR data types?
o CHAR is used for fixed-length strings, while VARCHAR is used for
variable-length strings. VARCHAR is more flexible and space-
efficient.
Backup and Recovery
1. How do you perform a backup in SQL Server?
o You can perform a backup using the BACKUP DATABASE command
or SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
2. What are the different types of backups in SQL Server?
 o Full Backup: Backs up the entire database.

o Differential Backup: Backs up only changes made since the last

full backup.
o Transaction Log Backup: Backs up the transaction log to restore
the database to a point in time.
3. What is a point-in-time recovery?
o Point-in-time recovery restores a database to a specific moment,
often using transaction log backups.
Security
1. What is SQL Server Authentication?
o SQL Server Authentication requires a username and password to
access the server, while Windows Authentication uses Windows
credentials for access.
2. What is a role in SQL Server?
o A role is a collection of permissions that can be assigned to users or
groups to control access to database objects.
3. What are SQL Server permissions?
o Permissions are rights assigned to users or roles, such as SELECT,
INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE, controlling access to data and objects
in the database.
Miscellaneous
1. What is a trigger in SQL Server?
o A trigger is a special type of stored procedure that automatically
executes when certain events (like INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE)
occur on a table.
2. What is the difference between a VIEW and a TABLE in SQL
Server?
o A VIEW is a virtual table based on the result of a query, while a
TABLE is an actual data structure that stores data.
3. What is SQL Profiler?
o SQL Profiler is a tool used to monitor and capture SQL Server
events, helping in performance tuning and troubleshooting.
Power BI Basics
1. What is Power BI?
o Power BI is a business analytics tool from Microsoft that enables you
to visualize data, share insights, and make data-driven decisions
through interactive reports and dashboards.
 2. What are the main components of Power BI?
o The main components of Power BI are:

 Power BI Desktop: A Windows application used to create

reports and dashboards.
 Power BI Service: A cloud-based service for publishing and
sharing reports.
 Power BI Mobile: Mobile apps to view reports and
dashboards.
 Power BI Gateway: A bridge for connecting on-premises
data sources to Power BI.
 Power BI Report Server: An on-premises report server to
host Power BI reports.
3. What are the different types of Power BI licenses?
o Power BI Free: Basic features for individual use.

o Power BI Pro: Advanced features for sharing, collaboration, and

publishing reports.
o Power BI Premium: Includes Pro features plus dedicated cloud
resources and advanced features for large organizations.
Data Loading and Modeling
1. How do you connect Power BI to data sources?
o Power BI can connect to various data sources using Get Data,
which supports Excel, SQL Server, SharePoint, Web APIs, and more.
2. What is the difference between Power BI Desktop and Power BI
Service?
o Power BI Desktop is used for creating and designing reports and
data models, while Power BI Service is for publishing, sharing, and
collaborating on reports online.
3. What is data modeling in Power BI?
o Data modeling in Power BI involves creating relationships between
tables, defining measures, and organizing data to ensure accurate
and efficient analysis.
4. What are the different types of relationships in Power BI?
o The main types are:

 One-to-One: One record in a table is related to one record in

another.
 One-to-Many: One record in a table is related to multiple
records in another.
  Many-to-Many: Multiple records in one table are related to
multiple records in another.
5. What is DAX in Power BI?
o DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is a formula language used to
create custom calculations, measures, and columns in Power BI. It's
similar to Excel formulas but designed for use in data models.
Visualization and Reporting
1. What are the different types of visualizations available in Power
BI?
o Power BI supports various visualizations, including bar charts, line
charts, pie charts, tables, maps, gauges, KPIs, and custom visuals
available through AppSource.
2. What is a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) in Power BI?
o A KPI is a visualization used to track progress against a specific
business goal or target. It shows the current value, target value, and
performance trend.
3. What are slicers in Power BI?
o Slicers are visual filters that allow users to slice the data based on
specific fields (e.g., date, category) to view relevant information
dynamically.
4. What is drill-through in Power BI?
o Drill-through is a feature that allows you to right-click on a visual
and "drill" into detailed data for a specific category or dimension.
5. What is a bookmark in Power BI?
o Bookmarks capture the current state of a report page (filters,
slicers, etc.) and allow you to create interactive reports with buttons
to navigate between different views.
Power Query and ETL
1. What is Power Query?
o Power Query is a tool in Power BI used for data transformation. It
allows you to clean, shape, and combine data before loading it into
Power BI.
2. What are some common data transformations you can perform
using Power Query?
o Common transformations include filtering rows, changing data
types, merging tables, pivoting/unpivoting columns, splitting
columns, and grouping data.
3. What is the difference between calculated columns and measures
in Power BI?
 o Calculated columns are created at the row level in the data
model, while measures are aggregated calculations that are
computed dynamically based on the context of the report.
4. What is a relationship in Power BI and why is it important?
o Relationships connect tables in Power BI, enabling you to create a
unified data model. They ensure that data from different tables can
be correctly aggregated and filtered.
Data Refresh and Performance
1. How do you refresh data in Power BI?
o You can refresh data manually in Power BI Desktop or schedule
automatic data refreshes in the Power BI Service using the
"Scheduled Refresh" feature.
2. What is DirectQuery in Power BI?
o DirectQuery allows Power BI to directly query the data source in
real-time, rather than importing the data into the model. It is used
for large datasets that can't be loaded into memory.
3. What is Power BI Gateway?
o Power BI Gateway is used to connect on-premises data sources to
the Power BI cloud service for data refresh. It can be installed on a
local server to facilitate this connection.
4. How do you improve report performance in Power BI?
o To improve performance, you can:

 Reduce the number of visuals on a page.

 Optimize DAX measures and queries.
 Use aggregations and DirectQuery for large datasets.
 Disable auto date/time in Power BI.
Sharing and Collaboration
1. How do you share Power BI reports?
o Reports can be shared in Power BI Service by publishing them to a
workspace and then sharing with users who have Power BI Pro
licenses, or by embedding reports in apps, websites, or SharePoint.
2. What is the Power BI Service and how is it used for collaboration?
o Power BI Service is an online platform for publishing, sharing, and
collaborating on reports and dashboards. It allows users to access
reports, set up data refreshes, and share insights with others.
3. What is a Power BI App?
 o A Power BI App is a collection of dashboards and reports packaged
together for distribution. It’s a way to deliver a set of content to
users in a structured way.
Security and Permissions
1. How do you implement row-level security (RLS) in Power BI?
o Row-level security (RLS) allows you to restrict data access for
specific users. You can define roles and DAX filters to control which
data a user can see based on their identity.
2. What is the difference between user-level and object-level
security in Power BI?
o User-level security restricts data access based on a user’s
identity, while object-level security restricts access to specific
report visuals or objects within a report.

Introduction:
"Hi, I'm [Your Name], and I currently work as an MSBI Developer at Hexplora,
where I’ve been involved in the design and development of Power BI reports and
dashboards. I also have hands-on experience in implementing ETL processes
using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and managing large datasets
through SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). My technical expertise extends to
building efficient data models with SSAS, optimizing SQL queries, and supporting
multiple clients in the healthcare industry. During my time at Hexplora, I led a
team of three in developing and certifying HEDIS quality measures,
demonstrating my ability to manage teams and deliver high-quality solutions.
With a solid understanding of data analytics and processing, I’m eager to
transition into a Data Engineering role, leveraging my skills to create reliable and
scalable data pipelines."

Interview Questions with Answers:

1. What experience do you have working with data pipelines and ETL
processes?
Answer:
"In my current role at Hexplora, I’ve designed and developed ETL processes
using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) to extract, transform, and load data
from various sources into our data warehouse. I’ve worked on optimizing the ETL
workflows to ensure data is efficiently transformed and integrated. This
experience aligns with the requirements at Indeed, where I would be responsible
for building scalable and efficient data pipelines."

2. Have you worked with big data frameworks like Hadoop or Spark?
Answer:
"While I haven’t worked directly with Hadoop or Spark, I have experience with
handling large datasets in SQL Server. I am eager to expand my skill set in
distributed data processing frameworks like Apache Spark, and I’ve been
learning more about them in my personal projects. I’m confident that my strong
database management skills and experience with large data volumes will allow
me to quickly adapt to these frameworks."

3. Can you explain your experience with relational databases and SQL?
Answer:
"I have extensive experience working with relational databases, particularly with
SQL Server, where I’ve created and optimized complex queries and stored
procedures. I am proficient in SQL and have used it to design and maintain data
models, optimize query performance, and ensure data integrity across different
environments. This experience will be beneficial when working with SQL
databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL at Indeed."

4. What’s your experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure?

Answer:
"Although my primary experience has been with on-premise SQL Server, I have
been working to expand my knowledge in cloud technologies. I’ve recently
started learning about AWS and Azure services, specifically around data storage,
and I’m excited to apply these skills in a cloud-based environment like the one at
Indeed. I’m particularly interested in working with cloud data warehousing
solutions such as Snowflake, as mentioned in the job description."

5. Do you have experience with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB or

Cassandra?
Answer:
"I haven’t worked directly with NoSQL databases like MongoDB or Cassandra yet,
but I am familiar with their fundamental differences from relational databases.
I’ve been studying their architecture and use cases, and I’m excited to gain
hands-on experience with them, especially in a big data environment like
Indeed’s."

6. What is your experience with version control systems such as Git?

Answer:
"I have experience using Git for version control in my current role. I use it
regularly to manage code changes, collaborate with team members, and ensure
that all code is properly versioned. I am comfortable using Git commands and
branching strategies to maintain a smooth workflow."

7. What interests you about this role at Indeed?

Answer:
"I’m really excited about the opportunity to work at Indeed because of its mission
to help people get jobs and its commitment to innovation. The chance to
contribute to building scalable data pipelines and integrating diverse data
sources to support business decisions aligns perfectly with my career goals. I’m
also drawn to the remote work environment, which allows me to be part of a
globally distributed team."

8. How do you approach problem-solving when faced with complex data

challenges?
Answer:
"When faced with a complex data problem, I start by breaking it down into
smaller, more manageable components. I first ensure that I understand the
requirements and constraints before exploring potential solutions. I leverage my
SQL skills to quickly query data and analyze the problem, then work iteratively to
optimize the solution. Collaboration is key, so I often consult with colleagues to
ensure we’re approaching the issue from different angles."

9. Have you ever worked with continuous integration/continuous

deployment (CI/CD) pipelines?
Answer:
"While I don’t have extensive hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines yet, I
understand the principles behind them. I’ve used Git for version control and am
familiar with tools like Jenkins for automating the deployment process. I’m eager
to expand my experience with CI/CD workflows, especially as they relate to data
pipelines at scale."

10. What skills or technologies would you like to improve or learn more
about in this role?
Answer:
"I’m keen to deepen my knowledge of distributed data processing tools like
Apache Spark and Hadoop, as well as gain more hands-on experience with cloud
platforms such as AWS and Azure. I’d also like to strengthen my expertise in
NoSQL databases and continue expanding my knowledge of data modeling
techniques for large-scale data environments."
1. Can you explain how you used KPIs and trend analysis in Power BI
reports for healthcare?
Answer:
In healthcare, I used KPIs to track metrics such as patient satisfaction,
readmission rates, and treatment outcomes. Trend analysis was used to
monitor changes in these metrics over time, such as tracking the
effectiveness of a new treatment or identifying rising trends inpatient
admissions. This helped stakeholders make informed decisions to
improve patient care.

2. What was your approach to developing ETL processes using SSIS in a

healthcare data environment?
Answer:
In healthcare, data comes from multiple sources, such as electronic
health records (EHR), pharmacies, and laboratories. Using SSIS, I built
ETL processes to extract patient data, medical history, and lab results
from various sources, transform it according to healthcare standards
(e.g., ensuring HIPAA compliance), and load it into a centralized data
warehouse for analysis and reporting.

3. Can you describe a scenario where you deployed a report using SSRS
in a healthcare context?
Answer:
I developed and deployed SSRS reports to help healthcare providers
track patient outcomes, such as the number of patients diagnosed with
chronic diseases like diabetes. These reports provided insights into the
effectiveness of treatment plans, patient adherence to prescribed
medications, and readmission rates, all critical for improving care
quality.

4. How did you implement SSAS Tabular models, and how did they
facilitate healthcare reporting?
Answer:
In the healthcare domain, I implemented SSAS Tabular models to
optimize the analysis of large-scale patient data. By organizing medical
history, treatment details, and outcomes into an in-memory structure, I
made it easier and faster for healthcare professionals to access real-
time insights, enabling quicker decision-making in patient care and
resource allocation.

5. Can you provide an example of how you optimized SQL queries for
better performance in a healthcare setting?
Answer:
In healthcare, the large datasets of patient records and treatment
histories can slow down query performance. I optimized SQL queries by
indexing frequently accessed columns, like patient IDs and treatment
dates, and ensured queries only pulled the necessary data to reduce
processing time, which was critical for quick decision-making in clinical
settings.

6. How do you ensure data integrity and accuracy when managing

healthcare database objects like tables and views?
Answer:
In healthcare, ensuring data accuracy is essential for patient safety and
care quality. I follow strict data validation checks and use audit logs to
track changes to medical data. For example, when creating tables for
patient details, I ensured the relationships between tables (e.g.,
patients, diagnoses, treatments) were properly defined to avoid data
inconsistencies. I also used version control for database changes to
prevent errors.

7. Can you explain your approach to exception handling in your SSIS

and SQL processes for healthcare data?
Answer:
Healthcare data can be highly sensitive, so I implemented robust error
handling in SSIS and SQL. If data failed to load (e.g., due to missing
values or incorrect formats), the system would flag errors and notify
the team. For example, when processing insurance claim data, I
ensured that missing or malformed claim details triggered exceptions
and alert messages, allowing for quick correction and avoiding
disruptions in reporting.

8. How did you support multiple ACO (Accountable Care Organizations)

clients, and how did you handle the complexity of healthcare data?
Answer:
I managed multiple ACO clients by providing custom data reports,
tracking quality measures like patient satisfaction, care coordination,
and clinical outcomes. Since healthcare data varies significantly
between clients, I tailored each data pipeline to align with their specific
needs, ensuring compliance with regulations like HIPAA, and ensuring
the integrity of their data.

9. What challenges did you face when working with healthcare data,
and how did you overcome them?
Answer:
Healthcare data can be fragmented and come in various formats (EHR,
lab results, pharmacy data). I overcame these challenges by building
ETL processes that consolidated data from disparate sources, ensuring
consistency and accuracy. For example, integrating data from a
pharmacy system and a hospital's EHR required transforming the data
into a standardized format for meaningful analysis, all while
maintaining compliance with healthcare regulations.

10. How did you lead the development of HEDIS quality measures, and
what was your role in their NCQA certification?
Answer:
I led a team that developed HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and
Information Set) quality measures, such as tracking preventive care
services and chronic disease management. I ensured that data models
accurately reflected patient care data and worked closely with the
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to validate and
certify these measures. This process involved gathering data from
multiple sources, applying proper business rules, and ensuring that
reporting met healthcare standards.

11. How do you handle large volumes of healthcare data, particularly

when working with patient records, lab results, and insurance data?
Answer:
I used efficient ETL processes to handle large volumes of healthcare
data, ensuring fast data extraction and loading into a centralized
warehouse. For example, by partitioning patient records by year and
optimizing indexing for frequently queried fields (like patient ID and
visit date), I minimized query time and made the data easily accessible
for reporting and analysis.
1. ETL and Data Transformation
a. How would you design an ETL pipeline to integrate data from
multiple sources (e.g., a relational database and a NoSQL database)?
Answer:
The ETL pipeline involves three primary steps:
1. Extract:
o Extract data from multiple sources such as relational databases
(SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (MongoDB,
Cassandra). For relational sources, I’d use SQL queries to pull data,
while for NoSQL, I’d use their respective APIs or connectors.
2. Transform:
o Apply necessary transformations like data cleaning, filtering, and
schema mapping. For example, if data from MongoDB has no
structured schema and needs to match the relational model, I’d
convert it into structured formats like tables or views.
o For performance, you can use parallel processing tools (like Apache
Spark) to handle large datasets.
3. Load:
o Load the transformed data into a data warehouse or data lake (like
Snowflake, Redshift, or Hadoop).
o Schedule the pipeline using Apache Airflow, ensuring data flows
regularly.

b. Write a SQL query to extract, transform, and load data from one
table to another.
Answer:
Here’s an example where data is being transferred from one table to another,
while transforming certain columns:
sql
CopyEdit
-- Extract data from source table, transform it, and insert it into a target table
INSERT INTO target_table (id, transformed_name, total_sales)
SELECT
id,
UPPER(name) AS transformed_name, -- Transform: Uppercase name
SUM(sales_amount) AS total_sales -- Aggregate: Sum of sales
FROM
 source_table
WHERE
sales_date >= '2024-01-01' -- Filter: Only include sales from 2024
GROUP BY
id, name;
This query extracts data, transforms it by changing the name to uppercase,
aggregates the sales, and loads it into a target table.

c. How would you optimize an ETL process that is running slower than
expected?
Answer:
 Identify Bottlenecks: Use profiling to determine whether the bottleneck
is during extraction, transformation, or loading.
 Indexing: Make sure indexes are properly applied to frequently queried
columns.
 Partitioning: Split large datasets into smaller partitions (e.g., by date) to
improve processing speed.
 Parallel Processing: Use frameworks like Apache Spark to process large
amounts of data in parallel.
 Incremental Loads: Instead of loading all data, load only new or changed
data (using techniques like Change Data Capture - CDC).
 Optimize Queries: Ensure that SQL queries used for transformation are
efficient, avoiding unnecessary joins or aggregations.

2. SQL and Data Manipulation

a. Write an SQL query to retrieve data from a table, joining two tables
and applying necessary filters.
Answer:
Here’s an example of joining two tables (orders and customers) and filtering by a
specific customer group:
sql
CopyEdit
SELECT o.order_id, o.order_date, c.customer_name, o.total_amount
FROM orders o
JOIN customers c ON o.customer_id = c.customer_id
WHERE c.customer_group = 'Premium'
AND o.order_date >= '2024-01-01'
ORDER BY o.order_date DESC;
This query joins two tables, applies filters, and sorts the results by order date.

b. Write a query to find the top N records (e.g., top 10 sales).

Answer:
sql
CopyEdit
SELECT product_name, SUM(sales_amount) AS total_sales
FROM sales
GROUP BY product_name
ORDER BY total_sales DESC
LIMIT 10;
This query calculates the top 10 products with the highest total sales.

c. Write an SQL query to calculate aggregates like sum, count, and

average, and group by certain criteria.
Answer:
sql
CopyEdit
SELECT customer_id,
COUNT(order_id) AS total_orders,
SUM(total_amount) AS total_spent,
AVG(total_amount) AS average_order_value
FROM orders
GROUP BY customer_id;
This query calculates the total number of orders, total spent, and average order
value per customer.

d. How would you handle NULL values or duplicates in your SQL

queries?
Answer:
 NULL Values:
 o Use IS NULL or IS NOT NULL to filter rows with NULL values.

o Use functions like COALESCE() or IFNULL() to replace NULLs with

default values.
o For aggregation, use COUNT(DISTINCT column) to avoid counting
NULL values.
 Duplicates:
o Use DISTINCT to eliminate duplicates from a result set.

o Use GROUP BY for aggregation queries to avoid duplicates.

Example handling NULL:

sql
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SELECT customer_id, COALESCE(name, 'Unknown') AS customer_name
FROM customers;

3. Data Modeling and Design

a. Design a simple data model for an e-commerce platform that includes
users, products, and transactions.
Answer:
Here’s a simplified ER model:
 Users: user_id, name, email, signup_date
 Products: product_id, name, price, category
 Transactions: transaction_id, user_id (FK), product_id (FK), quantity,
total_amount, transaction_date

b. Explain how you would design a data model for integrating multiple
sources of healthcare data.
Answer:
For integrating multiple sources of healthcare data:
 Patient Data: patient_id, name, dob, address
 Lab Results: lab_result_id, patient_id (FK), test_name, result, test_date
 Pharmacy Data: prescription_id, patient_id (FK), medication_name,
quantity, prescription_date
We would integrate the data by creating common identifiers (e.g., patient_id),
ensuring that data from all systems is normalized, and stored in a way that
allows easy querying across datasets.
4. Big Data & Distributed Systems
a. Write a basic program in Apache Spark (in Python/Java) to process
large datasets.
Answer (using PySpark):
python
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from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

# Initialize Spark session

spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("BigDataProcessing").getOrCreate()

# Load data
df = spark.read.csv("large_data.csv", header=True, inferSchema=True)

# Perform transformations
df_transformed = df.filter(df['age'] > 30).groupBy('city').agg({'salary': 'avg'})

# Show results
df_transformed.show()
This basic PySpark code filters data and aggregates salary by city.

b. What would be your approach to scaling an ETL pipeline when the

data size increases significantly?
Answer:
 Parallel Processing: Use a distributed processing engine like Apache
Spark to process data in parallel across nodes.
 Partitioning: Break down large datasets into smaller partitions (e.g., by
date or region) to allow better parallelization.
 Incremental Loading: Instead of processing the entire dataset, process
only the new or modified data since the last ETL run (Change Data Capture
- CDC).
c. How would you handle processing a large dataset that doesn’t fit into
memory?
Answer:
 Use distributed frameworks like Apache Spark to process the dataset in
parallel across multiple nodes.
 Utilize data partitioning and streaming for processing data in chunks.
 If using SQL, consider pagination and processing the dataset in smaller
chunks.

5. Problem Solving & Data Processing Algorithms

a. Write an algorithm to find duplicates in a dataset.
Answer (Python):
python
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def find_duplicates(data):
return [item for item in data if data.count(item) > 1]
This function returns the elements that appear more than once in a list.

b. Write a function to find the most common value in a list of records.

Answer (Python):
python
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from collections import Counter

def find_most_common(data):
count = Counter(data)
return count.most_common(1)[0][0]
This function finds the most common item in a dataset.

6. Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

a. How would you implement a data pipeline using AWS services like S3,
Lambda, and Redshift?
Answer:
  Use AWS S3 for data storage, storing raw data files.
 Use AWS Lambda to process and transform the data in real-time or batch
jobs.
 Load the transformed data into Redshift for analytics, either directly or
through an intermediary like AWS Glue for ETL processing.

b. What are the benefits of using a data lake over a traditional

relational database in cloud storage?
Answer:
 Scalability: Data lakes are designed to handle vast amounts of
unstructured data, unlike traditional relational databases.
 Flexibility: Data lakes allow storing data in its raw form, making it easier
to store diverse data types (structured, unstructured).
 Cost-Effectiveness: Data lakes are generally cheaper to scale as they
use cheaper storage options like Amazon S3.

7. Coding with Java

a. Write a function in Java to process a list of records.
Answer (Java):
java
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import java.util.*;

public class ProcessData {

public static List<String> processList(List<String> data) {
List<String> result = new ArrayList<>();
for (String item : data) {
if (!result.contains(item)) {
result.add(item);
}
}
return result;
}
}
This function processes a list of records and removes duplicates.

b. Find the maximum sum of a contiguous subarray (Kadane’s

Algorithm).
Answer (Java):
java
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public class MaxSubArraySum {
public static int maxSubArraySum(int[] arr) {
int maxSum = arr[0];
int currentSum = arr[0];

for (int i = 1; i < arr.length; i++) {

currentSum = Math.max(arr[i], currentSum + arr[i]);
maxSum = Math.max(maxSum, currentSum);
}

return maxSum;
}
}
This implementation uses Kadane's Algorithm to find the maximum sum of a
contiguous subarray.

8. Version Control & CI/CD

a. Describe a time when you used Git in a collaborative project.
Answer:
In a collaborative project, I used Git to maintain version control of the codebase. I
regularly committed changes and pushed them to a shared repository. When
working on features with team members, we used feature branches and merged
them into the main branch after peer review. We handled merge conflicts by
coordinating with team members to ensure no conflicting changes were made.

b. Explain the importance of CI/CD in a data engineering context.

Answer:
CI/CD pipelines ensure that code changes, including ETL scripts or data
transformation processes, are automatically tested, built, and deployed. In data
engineering, it ensures that data pipelines are reliable, repeatable, and
consistent. By automating testing, we can catch errors early and speed up the
deployment process.

I hope these answers are helpful for your preparation! Let me know if you'd like
more clarification or additional questions.